Conserving of Peat Bogs - Essay Example

RUNNING HEAD: Are peat bogs worth conserving The effect of human activity on the world's peatland ecosystems is slowly developing into what will eventually become a significant global crisis. Comprised of thick accumulations of preserved plant detritus with a dominating living plant surface layer, peatland is an extremely important economic raw material, store of carbon, and archive of environmental change. Covering approximately 400-500 million hectares, peatland environments form a substantial fraction of the world's land surface. Though across the world peatlands account for only about 3% of land area, they may contain 16-24% of all carbon existent in soils (Page, 2002). In fact, according to Pearce in his article "Peat bogs harbour carbon time bomb," it is estimated that "the bogs of Europe, Siberia and North America hold the equivalent of 70 years of global industrial emissions" (2004). Peat forms in a low-oxygen environment that prevents the rapid decomposition of plant matter (Eslick, 2001). As a result, peat lands are not conducive to the general growth of vegetation because its "soils" are poor in nutrients. However, since "peat is a precursor to coal," it is also a significant (though much cheaper) source of energy that has for many years been exploited by man (Eslick). This exploitation has, in some cases, almost decimated the stores of peat in many parts of the world. In Ireland, for instance, 50% of raised bogs were depleted in only about 30 years, all for the purpose of extracting its stores of energy (Abbot). Another common use of peat from bogs is in improving the composition of soil in agriculture, and "Horticulturists today value Sphagnum peat for its resistance to decomposition and ability to neutralize odor" (Dente, 1997). For these reasons, peat is harvested and marketed on large scales in such countries as the United States, Ireland and Sweden. In a time when scientists, environmentalists and governments alike seek to preserve the stores of fossil fuels in the earth, it would seem natural that an equal preservation of peat (and, by extension, the bogs that contain it) should follow. Yet what, if any, are the tangible environmental benefits of preserving peat bogs Are there any immediate or foreseeable costs that outweigh the benefits of using peat as an energy source or for agri-/horticultural purposes Acting as remarkable terrestrial carbon pools (or 'sinks'), peatlands can store carbon for near geological time-scales. Playing a crucial role in the global carbon cycle they lock up the primary greenhouse gas CO2, helping to prevent global warming. The role of carbon in the environment is an intricate one. Carbon possesses an uncanny ability to bond with other elements. Therefore, it makes up part of millions of compounds that exist on the earth, and because of this, it can be found everywhere and in just about everything on the planet. Carbon bonds with oxygen stoichiometrically, which "means that for every mole of carbon oxidized, one mole of carbon dioxide is produced," and it is also true that "achieving an appropriate level of atmospheric carbon dioxide is requisite to preventing anthropogencially induced climate change" (Eslick, 2001). A phenomenon of peat-levels in bogs is the fact that their carbon levels seem to be so intimately connected with the levels of carbon in the atmosphere that an increase in one sparks an increase in the other. They feed off each other, and according to this idea, an escalation of carbon might already have begun that will sustain itself regardless of further human intervention (Pearce, 2004). The high level of carbon present in the bogs, when released by burning or other activities, contributes to an increase in the CO2 levels of the atmosphere, which over the past 200 years has risen from 278 ppm (parts per meter) to 360 ppm (Stonyfield, 1997). This rise correlates with the general rise in the temperature level of the earth that, in fact, defines global warming, and the exploitation of peatlands has been a major contributor to the increase in carbon dioxide present in the earth's atmosphere. There have been several cases in which devastation has been documented, arising as a result of peatland exploitation. Due to the economic value of peat as a fuel and a medium for agri- and horticulture, exploitation of peatland ecosystems has now become a major cause for environmental concern. One example of the repercussions of human disturbance to peatland environments can been found in the Indonesian province of Central Kalimantan, in the south of the island of Borneo. Several interesting species of animals inhabit the swampy bogs of this area, and, notably it is the "primary habitat of the proboscis monkey, which lives only in Borneo" ("Borneo," 2001). This area of peatland had lain undisturbed for thousands of years, but an inept decision made by Indonesia's former dictator, Suharto, to develop the area has had catastrophic effects. The change has been dramatic: "A decade ago it was clothed in dense forest. Now, much of it resembles a First World War battlefield, with blackened trees rising like charred limbs above the slow-burning peat" (CIFOR, 2003). These fires started mainly as a result of villagers' who burn the peat in order to reclaim land for agriculture. As peat is high in energy, the fires spread beyond their control and led to devastation that has generated costs estimated at $3 billion (CIFOR). Aside from contributing up to 40% of the world's carbon emissions during the 1997-98 fires, the burning of the peat accounted for the pollution index's reaching levels 15 times higher than safety level (CIFOR). This caused respiratory problems in many. Peat fires are not the same as other forest fires. As noted by Luca Tacconi of CIFOR, "some fires - specifically those on peat - cause far more damage and pollution than others" (2003), and the drainage of water from and logging of peatlands by humans, as well as the development of nearby land, contribute largely to the occurrence of these dangerous fires (Cheng Li, 1997). From 1995-1997 more than one million hectares (an area about a third the size of Belgium) was cleared in Central Kalimantan to make room for rice production. In addition, over 4,600 kilometers of drainage canals were dug, threatening the peatlands stability and making it extremely susceptible to fire. A direct result of this was the occurrence of widespread fires during the 1997 El Nino event. The haze from the smoke covered an area of 3000 by 5000 kilometers ("European," 2002). However, in addition to this, a staggeringly large amount of carbon was released into the atmosphere as a result of these fires. The European Space Agency relates that "According to the cover story in Nature, the fires in Indonesia released upwards of 2.57 gigatonnes of carbon, 40 percent of the mean carbon emissions released annually from fossil fuels, and 'contributing greatly to the largest annual increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration detected since records began in 1957'" ("European," 2002). The magnitude of the situation is evident, especially since "As much as 50 billion tonnes of carbon is locked up in Indonesia's peat bogs-the equivalent of eight years of fossil-fuel emissions" (Pearce, 2002). As the resulting fires have caused a measurable surge in levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, they have already, and practically irreversibly, contributed to the growing problem of global warming. Therefore, as the burning of the forests associated with the peatlands have led in Borneo to the destruction of the proboscis monkey's natural habitat, the increase of CO2 in the atmosphere, and sundry illnesses in the population, then continued existence of peatland is of some appreciable benefit to individual ecosystems and to the global community as a whole. Widespread fires on peatland have also been the cause of several problems in Malaysia. Apart from its being affected by the smoke, haze, and general environmental pollution from the fires of the neighboring Indonesia, it has also been for several years plagued with fires of its own. One contributor to the susceptibility of the bogs to fire was a dry period that persisted for many months. However, more major causes are directly traceable to humans and include, as before, the preparation of land for agriculture. The situation was made worse because the citizens and civil servants of Malaysia had limited education regarding the prevention and inhibition of fires on peatlands. Because of the high levels of carbon present in the peat, it continued to burn far below the surface and without the knowledge or intervention of authorities. This ignorance led, as the worst case, to the destruction of nearly one million hectares of forest land in 1982-83, and between 1992 and 1998, the amount of land destroyed has amounted to approximately 8500 hectares (Wan Ahmad, 2001). In addition to the release of significant amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere, the Malaysian fires also led to several situations that posed a more immediate threat to human, animal and plant quality of life. These included a haze-related reduction in sunlight giving rise to smaller crop yields; losses from decreased fishing and increased pollution damage to industrial production equipment; and reduced tourism. One of the priorities named in the prevention of further damage to the environment by fires has been the water management of peatlands (Wan Ahmad, 2001). Environmental bodies of several states and nations consider the preservation of bogs and wetlands an important part of ecology, as it contributes to the maintenance of biodiversity and aids in the health of other ecosystems. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources considers bogs important for the preservation of the rare wildlife and vegetation that find in bogs their only habitat. Particularly, preservation of the Piney Branch Bog and others in the state of Maryland is sought also because of the "value they provide in filtering water prior to its flowing into tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay" (Sheridan, et al., 1996). The Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia is another example of the preservation of peatland, and this time the beauty it adds to the environment is quoted as an important contribution of this type of land (Edwards, 2003). The value of peatland is swiftly becoming evident to the environmentalists and governments of several countries around the world. The formation of peat takes millennia, and recently much of the earths store of peatland has been threatened by such activities as forest fires, human burning for fuel and agriculture, and the development of surrounding land for farming. The implications of this activity have been several, and have proven to have a devastating effect upon man environment, as well as upon man himself. The burning of fossil fuels has been known to contribute to the high levels of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. As peat is highly rich in carbon, and since carbon dioxide is the most abundant of greenhouse gasses, the burning of peat, whether for fuel or in forest fires, dramatically increases the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This promises to have a negative impact on the world's climate, as global warming is the direct result of this increase in carbon dioxide. Large-scale production of this gas has resulted from the fire episodes in such places as Borneo (Indonesia) and Malaysia, where fires have destroyed millions of hectares of peatland. These fires have come about because of the types of human activities mentioned before, and not only have they caused damage to the earth's atmosphere, but to the same people whose activities influenced their existence. Destruction of peatland and resultant fires have led to such varying problems as respiratory illnesses, destruction of farmland, decreased tourism, and global warming. On the other hand, the preservation of bogs and peatland has been shown to decrease levels of pollution in water and create a sanctuary for wildlife and vegetation that have no other ideal habitat. In light of these facts, it seems worthwhile to preserve the naturally occurring bogs, marshes, swamps and all other forms of peatland around the world. References Abbot, Patrick. "Ireland's Peat Bogs." Travel through the Ireland Story. Available: "Borneo peat swamp forests." 2001. Wild world ecoregion profile. Available: Cheng Li, Tan. 1997. "The peat fires of Southeast Asia." Star Online. Available: Dente, Jenny. 1997. "Fascinating story of bogs: their role in preservation." U. of Texas. Available: Edwards, Leslie. 2003. "The Okefenokee swamp." The Georgia Botanical Society. Available: European Space Agency. 2002. "Nature highlights use of space imagery to study Indonesian fires." Author. Available: < http://www.esa.int/esaCP/ESAOB17708D_index_2.html> Jack C. Eslick. 2001. "Bogs: a web presentation." Quaternary Geology. Available: CIFOR (Center for International Forestry Research). 2003. "Indonesia burning." Author. Available: Page, Susan E., Florian Siegert, John O. Rieley, Hans-Dieter V. Boehm, Adi Jaya andSuwido Limin. 2002. "The amount of carbon released from peat and forest fires in Indonesia during 1997." Nature: International Weekly Journal of Science. Available: Pearce, Fred. 2004. "Peat bogs harbour carbon time bomb." New Scientist. Available: Sheridan, Phil, Keith Underwood, Michael LaRoche and David Wallace. 1996. "Piney branch bog." Meadowview Biological Research Station. Available: http://www.pitcherplant.org/ pineybranch/> Stonyfield Farm. 1997. "Reversing Global Warming: Offsetting Carbon Dioxide Emissions." Author. Available: Wan Ahmad, Wan Mohd Shukri. 2001. "Fire situation in Malaysia." Global Forest Fire Assessment 1990-2000. Ed. Goldammer, Johann G. FAO corporate document repository. Available: Read More